The Pulpit Commentary — Isaiah — Volume 1 — Section 58

IV. THAT ONE RESULT 'OF IT W11oL BE 'THE PREVALENCE OF THE BPmrr AN'n Ol'·TIIE INSTITUTIONS OF PKAOE. (Ver. 4.) The love of war, the institutions of we.r, the readi..; ness to ha'l'e recourse to war, the pride and glory in lnilitary achievements 1vhioh even Christian nations are not ashamed to own,~this will disappear as the will ·of. God takes its due, it-s exalt.ed place among ma.nk:ind. 1l'he sword will give place to the plough- share, not only in the use of the nation's metal, but in the honour and estimation of the J)i>(ple's mi~d.. And instea~ of a cou~try wasting its strength and hwishing its energy ,o the cu!t1'l'at1on of the science and m the construction of the enginery of war, it. will devote its mental power to the acquisition of those arts which heal and bless and raise. 'V. 'l'RAT ONE CONTRIBUTION TO ITS OOMING WILL DE FOUND IN OUR OWN· FAITHP FULNESS. (Ver. 5.) lf we would be sure of.the <lawn of this blessed future, let 118 take our part, however humble it may be, in the work of enlightenment; let tes walk in thl! light of the Lord. It is the critical and the censorious whose faith fails them; it is they ~ho have no bright visions of a coming day of glory: they are only conscious of the clouds, and see no light in the far horizon. But those who study the will: of God as rcvea1ed in his Word, who make haste to·keep his cotniilandmtmte who·Hve'tho Master's life, and illustrate his Word by deed~ of helpfulness e.nd love,-it is they who have the -assurance in their hearts that "·the mountain of the Lord's hotrs1J. shall be established," that the day will come when truth -will be crowned, and •~ u:Divertlf,l peace" shall •• .. Lie like a shaft of light across the land, And like a lane of beams athwart the sea, Thro' all the circle of-the golden year." For it ia '' Unto him who works, and feels he worka; This.same grand y_ear is e\"er at the doors."·'·: • ,..,. •ll ;r··, Ver. 5.-The wisdom of walking in :tire. 1iglit. ' The •prophet inserts a ,parenthesis which evidently expresses the deepest and' strongest feelings of hie heart. He is oppressed with a sense of the folly of those who deliberately go astray in' the darknesS', when they might walk on in the light of Divine truth toward the goal of• human blessedness ; hence bis fervent exclamation, " 0 house of Jacob, come ye, and let us," etc. I. THE TRUTH OF GoD THE LIGHT OF THE HUMAN SOUL. Light is "that which ma:kes manifest" (see Eph. v. 13). And as the sunshine makes clear to us our 1own persons, shows us all surrounding nature, and enables 118 to :find our way to the objects of our desire, so the truth of God (1) enlightens ua as to our own selves, revealing our spiritual nature and our actual character; (2) shows us the relation in which we stand to our fellows and to our Divine Maker, revealing to us human life and human destiny; .and (3) enables us to walk in the way of eternal life, beooming that which pleases God·, and doing that which is right and good in his sight. . • IL THE 1'UPRE¥E wIIIDolll DF WALKING IN ITB LIGHT. Well may the man· of God sclaim with even passionate earnestness, " Come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord." For: 1. It is the one ri_qht course to take; any other must be one of error and of sin. 2. It is the path of progress, leading up to heights of strength, prosperity, sanctity. 3. It is ihe way to abiding joy; other paths, though they may open. temp~ ingly enough and may promise keen delights, will conduct ultimately to sorrow, shame, and death. This way, in which the light of the Lord leads us, may be entered upon with spiritual struggle (Luke xiii 24), may be attended with much self-denial (Matt. xvi. 24); but it is a path of purest and noblest joy (Rom. v. 11; Phil. iii. 1; iv. 4; 1 Pet. iv. 13), and it ends in everlasting glory (1 Pet. i. 3, 4).-C. Vera. 6-21.-Retn?ni-tion and its results. In this noble prophetic 1paesage, BI charged with poetic grandeur as it ie full of religious zeal, we have our thought directed to- I. Two HEINOUS BINS WHICH DELONG TO EVERY AGE AND CLASS. They are these: 1. Disc,bedience. The divination to which reference ill made (ver. -6) is expressly prohibited in the Law (Deut. xviii. 10-12); alliance with strangers (ver. 6) is alBO OR. u. 1-22.] THW BOOK OF THE PROPHET ISAIAH.